


A Fighting Boy

by Tyranno



Category: Bleach, Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crack Taken Seriously, Gen, Oneshot, Pokemon AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-09
Updated: 2015-04-09
Packaged: 2018-03-22 02:19:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3711154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tyranno/pseuds/Tyranno
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All Ichigo wanted to be was the very best, like no one ever was. Too bad crazy people keep jumpin' through his window at ungodly hours. </p><p>Oneshot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Fighting Boy

“Hey!! I’m not finished with you!!” Ichigo hollered down the darkening alley.

The punks scrambled away, expensive pristine trainers like neon flashing signs in the dusk. They shouted at each other, breaking into a sprint, disappearing around the corner.

Ichigo sighed, and glanced back down at the floating young girl.

She smiled apologetically, shrinking in on herself slightly, clutching her hands to her chest. “ _I’m sorry for bothering you.”_

Ichigo waved her apologies away. “It’s their own fault.” He gently turned the upset jar of flowers the right way up. He scooped as much of the scattered petals as he could, dropping them into the water.

She watched him quietly, swinging her feet slightly so they brushed through her headstone’s solid granite. She giggled softly.

Ichigo smiled a little.

“ _If you don’t mind telling me... why didn’t you use your pokemon to fight them?”_

Ichigo stiffened a little, and glanced back at the Mismagius. It noticed him watching and ran a ribbon-like lilac arm across the rim on its bowl-like hat, as if tipping it to him. A yellow eye glittered in the darkness. Ichigo dragged his eyes away. “It’s not mine.”

The girl blinked, and frowning a little. “ _Oh, I’m sorry. Whose is it?”_

Ichigo looked down at the broken bottle of flowers. The flower’s head drooped over the edge. It was almost completely petal-less. “My mother’s.”

The girl watched him walk slowly away.

The Mismagius’s ribbon limbs rippled gently in an unfelt breeze. Its sharp eyes seemed to be looking straight at her, searching for something. It was scouring her very soul for something, something on the tip of her tongue, burning on the back of her throat. Its eyes dragged at her, burning her away as its fiery cores ripped through her soul, searching, searching for—

“I’ll bring... fresh flowers tomorrow, okay?” He called back softly.

It moved on.  

“ _Y-yeah,_ ” The girl smiled hesitantly, “ _Thank you. Now I can rest peacefully._ ”

As the human and the pokemon moved deeper and deeper into the shadows their colours grew darker and darker until they were completely indistinguishable.

 

 

*

 

 

“I’m home.” Ichigo announced to the small, pale clinic, stepping inside.

“You’re late!” Isshin cried from the dinner table, “Do you know what time it is?! It’s Late O’Clock!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Ichigo glanced at the table, “Hey, Yuzu.”

Yuzu waved, but her usual bright grin had a wobble.

“What’s wrong?” Ichigo frowned, sitting down at the table. A table set for three. “Huh? Where’s Karin?”

Yuzu burst, tears rolling down her cheeks. “It was horrible Ich~ii~goo!! She just left! _Left_!! She said she wanted to ha-have a p-p- _pokemon_ adventuuuure!! Look what she left!”

Yuzu shoved a crumpled (Isshin), tear-stained (Isshin & Yuzu) scrap of paper in his face.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow.

It was a short letter in the neat, crampt hand he recognised as his sister’s. It read simply;

‘ **Gone Adventuring w/ Rattata. See you soon. Love, Karin**.’

And a quick doodle of the girl in question for good measure.

“That’s good. It’ll give her a nice break from—” Ichigo gestured at his father, “—all this.”

“Ichigo!! Can’t you see how horrible this is?!” Yuzu blubbered. “Think of all the things that could _happen to her_!!”

Ichigo frowned and thought hard about all the things that could happen to a tough, independent young girl. “She could... skin her knee on a rock.” He suggested. “Loose a gym battle.”

“You see?” Yuzu clutched desperately at Ichigo’s shirt.

“We have to go right now and drag her back! Lock her in her room!” Isshin suggested, wiping tears from his eyes.

Ichigo rested a hand on Yuzu’s shoulder. “Look, Yuzu, Karin will be fine. She will make some great memories, and meet some nice people. I know you miss her, but she’ll be home soon enough. I promise she won’t get hurt.”

Yuzu peeped up from Ichigo’s chest. “You’re sure?”

“Yup. One-hundred-percent.” Ichigo patted Yuzu’s back as she dried her tears.

“Are you really sure?” Isshin blubbered through his own tears.

Ichigo shot him a flat look. “I’m going to bed,” he decided.

Yuzu blinked up at him. “But you haven’t had your dinner yet!”

“I’m not hungry,” He said. And then he stopped, and looked back at her. “You can pull a futon out and sleep in my room if you get lonely.”

Yuzu thinks about it for a moment or two, staring hard at the floor. And then she gives him a watery but determined grin. “No, I’ll sleep on my own tonight.”

Ichigo nods. “Ok.”

 

 

*

 

 

Ichigo pulled open the wide window in his room and looks out into the darkening sky. The night air was fresh and clean, sharp on the insides of his heavy lungs. He heard the distant shouts of children making their way home, the laughter that is muffled by the rustle of trees and the lyrical chirps of bird pokemon buried deep in the leaves. He felt the cold on his skin and welcomed the restful feeling it brings.

The Mismagius haunted him like a ghost.

It was his mother’s pokemon.

But it still smiled serenely as she was eaten alive.

He pulled his pyjamas, trying to stop his skin crawling as the pokemon’s sharp eyes seem to cut into him, lingering on his bruises and healing scabs. He scowled at it, but said nothing.

Ichigo couldn’t quite bring himself to hate it. Mismagius’s presence was too strongly intertwined with his mother’s, he remembered too easily when he’d used to cautiously hold Mismagius’s thin arm when he was beginning to walk, memories of quiet, bright days when he’d follow his mother gardening, holding more and more of the pokemon’s attention as it lost interest in the properties of roots and the colour of soil. All of the memories of his mother were tinged with it; every scene is against a backdrop of that dark purple ghost-type.

Ichigo rolled over. His room was too cold with the evening air. He sighed, and sits up.

A girl was in his room.

He stares. Then he sighs. “Oh man, I exorcise one and another one jumps on me. I don’t get a moment’s peace.” He straightened up, “Is there anything you want?”

The girl ignored him, casting a glance around the room. She only seemed to take note of the Mismagius, which she nods at slightly. She moves across the room in long strides, black uniform curling up behind her in gentle waves.

“Hey! I’m talking to you!” He leant forward.

She ignored him, casting an anxious glance around the room. She scowls and mutters something under her breath.

Was she deaf? Ichigo leapt off the bed and put a hand on her shoulder.

She nearly jumped out of her skin, smacking his hand away.

Ichigo took a few steps back and held up his hands to show he meant no harm. “It’s okay, honest. Sorry I startled you.”

She looked at him incredulously. “ _Startled me_? How can you even see me?! And how come you can _touch_ me too!?”

“Oh, sorry,” Ichigo frowned. “Yeah, um, I can see ghosts and stuff. My whole family can. Well,” he raised an eyebrow, “Mostly.”

The girl stared at him, hard. “I’m not a ghost.”

“Uh,” Ichigo said, uselessly. He didn’t really want to point out that _yeah, she was_ , since this was a pretty sore subject with some dead people. Still, he needed to tell them eventually, or it would only get harder. “I’m sorry. But you’re dead. It’s not too bad, you can move on.”

The girl tried to look tough and irritated but a giggle escaped her. “Y-yeah, I’m dead. But I’m a Shinigami.”

Ichigo paused. “You _what_?”

“I’m a Shinigami. I guide souls—”

“—I know what a Shinigami—”

“—but you said—!”

“—I just don’t believe you, that’s all!” Ichigo exclaimed. “Look, you’re dead! I’m sorry, but that’s the truth. Stop believing you’re magic and it will all be better in the end.”

The girl huffed and glared at him. “Believe _this_! Kidō, the first—binding spell!”

Ichigo’s body froze up and he slumped to the floor.

The girl grinned and crossed her arms. “Ok~ay! I’ll deal with _you_ la~ter!” She strode across the room, grinning madly.

“Hey, wait! Why are you even here then, Shinigami?”

The girl stopped. “Aha! So you do believe!”

Ichigo murmured into the floor “I believe you could be crazy and will hurt my family.”

“What was that?” She snarled.

He shook his head. “I said yeah, yeah I do believe in you.”

“Good.” She sat down. “I think maybe I should teach you something. If you can see me, you must have high spiritual pressure, and it’s a Shinigami’s duty to protect people.”

Ichigo nodded quickly. “Very-good-thank-you,” He said, while jerking his head towards the door, trying to catch Mismagius’s attention. But the floating pokemon only let out a few high twanging notes like chants, as if it was laughing. Man he might not hate that pokemon but it sure was annoying.

“Okay, so, when people die they become ghosts,” the ‘Shinigami’ said cheerily. She had found a sketchbook somewhere, and was doodling bunny rabbits in thick black marker. “And these ghosts are generally nice to start off with. If left alone, though, they become these big scary things called Hollows.” She drew an angry bunny rabbit. “They eat souls, and once a Hollow’s eaten someone, they can’t enter the soul society.” She started to draw a house, presumably. "Two main duties of a Shinigami: One, to send the nice fresh ‘whole’ souls to the soul society and Two, to cleanse the sins of a Hollow and send it to soul society. Oh, and sometimes we send them to hell. Any questions?”

“Yeah, um,” Ichigo squinted at the drawings. “I don’t think we turn into bunnies when we die.”

“Wha—That’s not a bunny!” She exclaimed.

“Oh.” Ichigo craned his neck around. When it didn’t miraculously transform into something recognisable, he asked “Then, why are you here?”

“Oh, to vanquish a hollow.”

“Shouldn’t you do that?” Ichigo asked, worried.

“Ah I’ve—”

An ear-splitting howl cut through the night.

The two recoiled, blocking their ears. Even Mismagius dipped a little.

“I need to go,” The girl said, suddenly serious. She vaulted over the bed and stormed down the stairs.

“Wait—” Ichigo cursed as she disappeared around the corner, thundering down the steps. “Damn.”

Mismagius floated closer.

“What do you think you’re looking at, huh?” Ichigo glared. “Going to watch as another member of my family dies, eh?”

The Mismagius let out a low whisper of sound.

“You know what, forget it. Just go away.” Ichigo snarled, trying to buck out of the invisible bonds. He’d been tied up before of course—not all thugs were as dumb as a brick, even if most of them are—but they still weren’t boy scouts and could rarely tie a decent knot. And even if they could, he could at least feel them moving or cutting into his skin. This was like his arms were frozen solid against him, his muscles refusing to obey him.

Ichigo dragged himself forward by his chin, wiggling his body.

It was hard work, his stomach ached, but he needed to move.

A high scream cut through the night.

A girl’s scream.

 _Yuzu’s_.

 

 

*

 

 

Rukia Kuchiki was not careless, or lax. In all her years, and there was a lot of them, she had been measured and controlled. She was a soldier, and soldiers do not stir for little things.

But this Hollow was _massive_. She had to admit she was a little intimidated.

It completely eclipsed the sky, shifting its weight on surprisingly slender white legs. Black swirls of colour swirled inside its translucent, jelly-like skin. It dipped a small, pearly head through the gap in the wall, its mask shaped to look almost wistful. It moved its small arms to touch the curve of the hole in the wall. Its howls had quietened to a low snorting whine.

It was no use. Her blocks had spared the family any harm, but the jelly skin sealed back together almost instantly. If the hollow were any more ravenous it would have already overwhelmed her.

She still had a trick up her sleeve though.

With a flick of her wrist she sent a ball spinning into the ruined sitting room.

“Come forth—” She cried, “— _Duskull_!”

 

 

*

 

 

Ichigo felt icy dread spread through his stomach. He tried to scoot forward but was almost overwhelmed with frustration. It seared his eyes like unshed tears, prickling wild at the back of his throat. What kind of brother was he? Trapped uselessly upstairs while his sister suffers.

He tugged on his arms. Hard.

He pushed back the swelling pain, dragging his arms forward.

With a sudden sound like breaking glass, he was free.

 

 

*

 

 

“Duskull use—...” Rukia flailed, trying to recall its moves. She could hardly grasp the use of a pokemon companion in battle to start off with, let alone having to remember to order it around. Kisuke had explained it but it had been _weeks_ ago. “...use...”

“Leer?” The small human girl suggested, peeking over the upturned couch.

“Yes!” Rukia nodded. “Use Leer!”

The pokemon’s eye slitted and glowed a dim red. It even made a small threatening growl.

The hollow crushed it under foot. It seemed bored of this, swirls of inky red rising from its jelly. It rose to full height, ceiling creaking under its back. Its eyes thinned and the hum grew into a rising snarl. It opened its massive jaws.

“Mismagius—use Shadowball!”

An orb of black energy smashed into the hollow’s chest, carving out a clean hole. The hollow tottered backwards, head whipping around and a snarl already rising like an accusation from its throat.

“Again!” Ichigo cried.

This one cracked the mask, shards tinkling to the ground as the monster caved in on itself. The jelly melted from it, bones cracking paper-thin and floating on the night’s breeze.

The silence was heavy.

Rukia’s breath came short, catching soft in her throat.

The night was cold.

“Are you alright, Shinigami?” The teenager asked, holding out a hand to help her up.

“Not... not ‘Shinigami’,” Rukia dragged her eyes away from where the hollow once was. “Rukia Kuchiki.”

“Oh. I’m Ichigo Kurosaki.” He pulled her to her feet.

Rukia looked back at the hole in the wall, and the floating remains of the hollow. They had almost completely disappeared. “How did you do that?”

Ichigo shrugged. “I just remember the moves, I guess. But being a real trainer takes practice.” He presses Duskull’s pokeball into her palm. “They’re not just tools, you know.”

Rukia frowned, but nodded.

“Come on, Yuzu, it’s pretty late,” Ichigo said softly, scooping her sister up.

Yuzu’s eyes were glued to the gap in the wall. “Y-yeah. Actually, C-could I sleep in your room tonight?”

Ichigo nodded and carried her up the stairs, pausing at the top. “You okay, Goat-face?” He called down.

“Yes! It will take more than a giant unexplained explosion to rattle your tough old man!” Isshin beamed up at him.

Ichigo frowned, but he had bigger fish to fry. He crossed the landing and plopped Yuzu on his bed before starting rooting around in his cupboard for a futon. The window was still open, but the sky was black now, dark trees near invisible against a darker sky.

He dropped a futon on the floor and began pushing out the creases. It had been a tough night, but after a few days he could brush it off as a peculiarity of life. A weird codsplayer, a crazy monster-thing, a missing living-room-wall; it was so outlandish he might even be able to pass it off as a fever dream or something.

He reached up to turn off the light.

“Hey, Ichigo,” Rukia’s head bobbed outside the window.

He raised an eyebrow at her.

“Could you teach me more about pokemon and stuff?” She asked.

Ichigo sighed. “Heck, I’m not even a proper trainer. That was, like, the first battle I’ve had in years. Get someone more qualified.”

“But you’re the only one who can see me!”

Ichigo rubbed his eyes. He just really wanted some sleep. “Fine, whatever.”

She didn’t leave, looking up at him expectantly with her big eyes.

“Not now! Maybe tomorrow or whatever!” He shooed her away, before flicking off the light with finality.

It looked like he wasn’t going to be able to brush this off any time soon.

**Author's Note:**

> so yeah the summary doesn't give you much but here it is. No, I don't know what I was thinking either. Heck, I wasn't even inspired to write this, I just kinda did.


End file.
